Sometimes mothers really do know best. At least that was the case for Edward “Eddie” Fabrizio when his mother said, “I think that you would thrive at SUNY Broome.” 

Eddie Fabrizio has always been interested in exploring his options for the future. When he was a student at Union Endicott High School, he took advantage of every opportunity to participate in  hands-on experiences in the careers that were of interest to him. When he contemplated being a journalist, he began writing for the school newspaper. When he considered being a politician, he joined a youth panel to make policy recommendations in Albany. When he wanted to transition his passion for sports into a job in sports management, he participated in BOCES’ pilot CTE in Business and Marketing advanced designation. Through all of his career explorations, Fabrizio’s mother made sure to remind him that SUNY Broome could guide him through whichever path was best.

Then a family trip changed the trajectory of Fabrizio’s academic plans. “My family and I visited the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts and the museum had an interactive exhibit on sports broadcasting and sports analytics. All of a sudden it clicked! Communications and broadcasting encompassed so many of the things that I enjoyed and there are so many markets within broadcasting, advertising, and communications that I could go as broad or specific as I wanted. I knew that SUNY Broome’s Communications and Media Arts program was for me. My mom was right… It just took me a little while to catch on,” said Fabrizio. 

When Fabrizio returned home, he participated in an “Instant Admit Day” hosted at Union Endicott High School and committed to SUNY Broome from that moment on.

On the first day of classes, Fabrizio met Instructor Christopher R. Keaty and was instantly inspired by his enthusiasm for the field of communications and media arts. “We clicked right away. Instructor Keaty’s high energy matches my wavelength. I may or may not be burning through my electives next semester by front-loading my comm classes, but that’s OK. I am really enjoying these specialty communications classes and want to keep learning more, especially from Instructor Keaty,” shared Fabrizio. 

Fabrizio soon learned that the typical day of a communications and media arts student doesn’t just consist of attending classes. Comm arts students are constantly offered opportunities to gain hands-on experiences in their field through “Comm Club” activities, on-campus studio productions, and specialty workshops. 

As a student who has always loved applied learning, Eddie didn’t hesitate when Instructor Keaty approached him about participating in producing and directing live broadcasts of SUNY Broome’s Esports matches. “Esports is relatively new for SUNY Broome, so this is a great way to highlight the matches and get the campus involved in supporting the team.”

When Fabrizio is not in class, hanging out in Comm Club, or directing a live Esports broadcast, you’ll find him in Albany representing the Southern Tier of NY on NYSED’s Youth Advisory Panel. As one of fifteen students on the Youth Advisory Panel, Fabrizio serves as an advisor for the Office of Special Education on policies established to support students with disabilities. 

“We meet in Albany three times a year to discuss our recommendations for policies that will improve the learning experiences for students with disabilities during high school, college, and beyond. They send us the topics for discussion ahead of the meeting, so that we have time to prepare. I am honored to be on the panel and love that I get to be an advocate for fellow students with disabilities. In our last meeting, I talked about how I think students should be exposed to career exploration and support services as early as possible – like in sixth or seventh grade. There are great programs through BOCES and ACCES-VR and I think that students should learn about them as soon as possible for career direction and hands-on opportunities,” said Fabrizio. 

For Eddie Fabrizio, one of the best parts of being a communications and media arts student is meeting fellow students who share many of the same interests and passions. “Comm students are quirky by nature, so I fit right in. I have already met some really amazing friends.” 

Since comm students are always in the know when it comes to quality entertainment, we couldn’t help but ask Eddie to make some binge-worthy recommendations. “I do think “Squid Games” is worth watching, but it’s definitely on the heavy side. To compensate for “Squid Games,” you should follow up by watching “Miracle Workers,” especially the Oregon Trail season. The great part about streaming platforms is that we get to watch content that we may not otherwise get to see. Who knows? Maybe one day we will be creating that content.”

Learn more about Communications and Media Arts at SUNY Broome!

 

 

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